1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bidirectional processing apparatus for discriminating various types of paper capable of correctly discriminating various types of paper even if it is conveyed in either a normal or a reverse direction. Also, the present invention relates to a control method of processing therefor.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Recently, various types of apparatus for automatically processing various types of paper have been developed. For example, concerning the bank note which represents various types of paper, the automatic teller machine (ATM) has come into wide use. It is necessary for this automatic teller machine to discriminate a bank note between true and false when a user deposits his money to the automatic teller machine. Also, it is necessary for this automatic teller machine to discriminate the type of a bank note when a user draws his money from the automatic teller machine. Therefore, the processing apparatus for discriminating various types of paper, which is arranged in the automatic teller machine, is composed as follows. The entire region of various types of paper to be discriminated is divided into minute regions. The shade of color, profile and pattern of each minute region are measured by an optical sensor, magnetic sensor and thickness sensor, and the thus measured values are converted into gradation signals it is possible to discriminate the various types of paper between true and false and also it is possible to discriminate the type of the various types of paper.
In the conventional processing apparatus for discriminating various types of paper arranged in an automatic teller machine, the various types of paper is conveyed in one specific direction. Passage of the various types of paper which has just passed through an insert sensor is used as a trigger signal, and sensors to detect light, magnetism and thickness start sampling operation. Discrimination is conducted according to the thus obtained sampling data.
In the case where a user deposits his money with the automatic teller machine, the user takes predetermined steps and then puts bank notes into an input port of the automatic teller machine. Then, the automatic teller machine discriminates the bank notes between true and false and then selects the bank notes according to the types of them and stocks them in the automatic teller machine. In the case of payment, the user takes predetermined steps and then inputs a necessary amount and necessary type of money. Then the automatic teller machine selects the bank notes concerned and sends them to an output port.
When depositing and withdrawing are conducted through different routes, that is, when the bank notes are conveyed through different routes in the cases of depositing and withdrawing, it is necessary to doubly provide the apparatus including the processing apparatus for discrimination, which increases the equipment cost. When discrimination is conducted only by one set of processing apparatus for discrimination, the following problems may be encountered. In this apparatus concerned, the insert sensor to detect the passage of bank notes is arranged only on the entry side of the apparatus. Therefore, the conveyance direction of bank notes to the processing apparatus for discrimination is restricted to one direction. When consideration is given to the fact that the insert sensor becomes a trigger to start the sampling operation conducted by the sensors, it is impossible to convey the bank notes in the reverse direction as they are. For the above reasons, it is necessary to use a processing apparatus for discrimination in which bank notes can be conveyed only in one direction and the conveyance passage is provided so that they can convey bank notes in both cases of depositing and withdrawing money. However, the thus composed processing apparatus for discrimination is disadvantageous in that the bank note conveyance route is complicated and extended, which creates difficulties when the apparatus is to be downsized and the manufacturing cost is to be reduced.
In order to solve the above problems, there is provided a processing apparatus for discrimination in which the bank note conveyance route for depositing money and the bank note conveyance route for drawing money are made the same, so that bank notes can be inserted into the processing apparatus for discrimination in two directions. In this processing apparatus for discrimination, there is provided an insert sensor on the delivery side being independent from the insert sensor on the entry side, so that a trigger signal can be obtained in the case of conveyance in the reverse direction by the insert sensor arranged on the delivery side. However, this bidirectional processing apparatus for discrimination needs two sets of insert sensors, which increases the manufacturing cost, that is, it prevents reducing the price.
In the processing apparatus for discrimination arranged in the automatic teller machine, in order to discriminate bank notes between true and false and also in order to select bank notes between the types of the bank notes, the processing apparatus for discrimination has various sensors which are arranged being opposed to the bank note conveyed to the processing apparatus for discrimination. When the pattern data obtained by a transmission light sensor for optically recognizing characters and figures printed on a bank note and also the pattern data obtained by a magnetic sensor for magnetically recognizing the characters and figures printed on the bank note are compared with the corresponding pattern data on a true bank note which are previously stored in a dictionary data unit, discrimination of the bank note can be conducted. When a user puts a bank note into the processing apparatus for discrimination, the way of setting the bank note at the processing apparatus depends upon the user, that is, the direction of the bank note depends upon the user and, further, whether a front face of the bank note is set upward or a reverse face of the bank note is set upward depends upon the user. There are various ways of setting the bank note at the processing apparatus for discrimination according to the user. For example, in the case where a bank note is conveyed in the direction of the short side of the bank note, there are eight patterns of setting the bank note. Further, when consideration is given to the way of conveying the bank note in which the bank note is conveyed in the direction of the long side of the bank note, the number of the patterns is doubled. In this case, in order to discriminate the bank note conveyed by a bidirectional processing apparatus for discrimination, it is necessary for the dictionary data section to store all data patterns containing 16 data patterns. Further, it is necessary to handle a plurality of types of bank notes. Therefore, it is necessary to store all data patterns for each type bank note. For the above reasons, the dictionary data section must have a large capacity, which causes a problem.